The Receptionist
by Rizu-san
Summary: Syaoran had given up everything to follow his so called dream girl to Japan. Almost broke, the former heir takes a job as a receptionist, in the process meeting a unique woman named Sakura, who might just be the best thing that happened to him. SxS!
1. The Way That Gravity Pulls

Hey, everyone! Thanks for taking interest in my first (posted) fanfic! It is an SxS paring in case any might be wondering by the end of this chapter!

**EDIT:** I had to remove the lyrics, because apparently they are not allowed anymore. Instead I'll just have a theme song listed at the beginning (my inspiration). I also took the opportunity to do a little proofreading. **So, if you've already read this chapter, don't worry, you don't have to re-read it**.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own CCS or any of the affiliated characters. They are owned by CLAMP. I do have the rights to Aya Imonoyama or any other original characters that may be presented in this fanfiction.

The Receptionist  
By Rizu-san

Chapter One_  
The Way That Gravity Pulls_

Theme song: _Gravity_ by Embrace

The sun rose as it did every morning, and the young man was already there to greet it. He had risen before dawn to train in the courtyard, as he did everyday. This boy should have been the pride of his parents. He attended the most prestigious private school in Hong Kong, was at the top of his class, was the star of the Soccer team, as well as winning many martial arts and academic competitions, all before the age of sixteen. Yes, people were in awe of this amazing boy who had it all, looks, brains, and the ability to charm any girl in school at one glace. However, he did not have the only thing that mattered to him deep down, the attention of his parents. This boy was named Syaoran Li.

His parents, Chao Fu and Yelan Li had always been distant for their children and each other. Chao Fu Li was always working, even on one of his so-called vacations to foreign lands. He was a hard man, who had little patience for children and their needs, only seeing them as a necessary to continue the Li Clan's legacy. Yelan Li had married Chao Fu because of an arrangement between her parents and his. She was often busy with social gatherings her friends or clubs were holding, such as teas and luncheons. Even when she was home, she had little time to devote to her children. When Syaoran was younger, he often showed his displeasure at how little attention he got by crying and throwing tantrums, but this angered his father who told him that if a "real man" was hurt or sad, he wouldn't show it, for it was a sign of weakness. As future leader of one of China's oldest clans, Syaoran could not be weak.

Yes, this boy was what some might refer to as a "real man", someone who showed no sign of emotional pain on the outside. Yet, that did not mean he did not feel sadness. In fact, Syaoran had a lot of sadness that he was could only face behind closed doors. His sisters had always said they were there for him, but in truth they were as scarce as his parents as they spent all their free time shopping or socializing. At school he was surrounded by people, but not by friends. His only true friend, and cousin, Eriol Hiiragizawa had recently returned to England, and this time, he had said, he wouldn't be returning. Syaoran knew he had to come to terms with the fact that he was doomed to never have a true relationship of any kind. His status and clan's fame had made sure of that.

"It's seven thirty already?" Syaoran said, sighing as he glanced at his watch. "And I hadn't even gotten much training in yet..."

The morning had a certain chill to it that could only be a sign of autumn, which in turn was a sign of the rapidly approaching winter. Syaoran entered the quiet mansion, tip-toed up the stairs and down the hall to his room. His sisters, Fu Die, Xue Hua, Huang Lian, and Fei Mei had not risen from their slumbers and wouldn't until noon. If roused any sooner for any reason, the wrath of four young and very fit women would be bestowed upon the unlucky person who committed such crime. Syaoran only hoped that if the house was ever on fire, they wouldn't be sleeping at the time.

Upon entering his room, Syaoran made his way over to his bed where his school uniform was all laid out for him. He quickly dressed and then walked over to the mirror to examine himself. He admitted that he did look good in the dark blue blazer with the yellow and blue matching tie. His shirt was a pure white and was still warm from the iron. His pants had been freshly creased and his black shoes had been polished. He ran his hand through his slightly messy brown hair and gave himself a nod of approval before heading downstairs where breakfast was waiting.

"Master Li, will you be needing anything else before we leave?" Wei said with a wrinkly smile dancing across his face. Wei had been the caretaker of the Li children for their entire lives, and Syaoran felt as though he was more of a father to him than his own.

"No, Wei, I have everything that I need, but thanks anyway." Syaoran replied while heading out the door.

The school loomed over the limo Syaoran was currently hiding out in. He knew that the time had come to return to this place of fake people, fake friends, but this time he really would be alone since Eriol had left. Syaoran glanced over at Wei, who was amused by the look of dread upon the teenager's face. He stared out the window, trying to find any way to make it inside the school without anyone noticing him, but he knew it was futile. Everyone would notice him, it was the only reason that anyone could possibly be here this early.

"Well, I'd best be going, Wei. Wouldn't want to be late, you know?" Syaoran said with a nervous chuckle.

"Have a good day, sir."

"That's unlikely..." Syaoran whispered as he stepped out of the vehicle.

He started down the walkway toward the entrance, but he didn't make it two steps before he was noticed by a small group of underclassmen who all wanted to shake his hand, welcome him back, or tell him about how they were looking forward to what was sure to be another great year for the Soccer team. No pressure, of course. Syaoran knew now that he had been spotted, it wouldn't be long before others noticed him as well, especially those of the female population. In fact, moments later he came face to face with just that, a group of the female species.

He just didn't get girls and their need to latch onto anyone deemed as "hot". He honestly didn't have the interest of dating any of these girls, but they never seemed to catch onto his hints. These girls seemed to be babbling on about some party they were holding this weekend, but he had to decline, he was not interested in anything social at this time. Instead, all he wanted right now was to make it to his first class without any more delays by any more phonies, but he did not tell them that. For once in his school career, he got just that. He greeted his teacher as he took his assigned seat. Class would be starting soon, and already he was counting down the minutes until he could go home. He had a feeling this year was going to be hell.

The bell rang and Syaoran was dreading the moment he would meet the kids he'd have to sit next to all year. As kids took their seats, many gave glances, waves, or greetings to Syaoran, who unenthusiastically returned them. Only one seat remained open next to Syaoran, who was trying to look interested in whatever some girl was saying to him, when someone took the other seat.

Syaoran looked over to see a girl he'd never met taking the seat. He must have been staring because she gave him this very weird look. It was that look that sparked curiosity in him. Certainly if the girl knew who he was, she wouldn't have given him that look, or maybe she didn't care. If either of those were true, than maybe Syaoran would finally have met someone at this school who wasn't a huge phony. It didn't hurt that she was kind of cute either, with her silken black hair cut to shoulder length, intensely blue eyes, and a nice complexion.

"Excuse me?" The girls voice woke Syaoran from his trance. "Do you want something or are you just going to sit there ogling me all day? If it is the second one, please be more discreet, you're drooling."

Syaoran blushed, a little surprised at her directness. "Sorry, but I don't think I know you. I'm Syaoran Li, and you are?"

"Aya Imonoyama. I'm pleased to meet you Li-kun." She extended a hand toward Syaoran. As he took the girl's hand, Syaoran realized that maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.

Three years had passed since that fateful meeting. A friendship between Aya and Syaoran formed, friendship turned into like, like into love. The two children grew into adults and into a couple. Syaoran's life had taken a drastic turn for the better when Aya came into the picture. He loved her, he knew she was the one for him, the only one he would ever love. He only hoped she felt the same about him. It seemed so, but she was a girl. When girls liked a boy, they always acted as if they were in love. As Syaoran looked into those blue depths, he couldn't help but smile. He pulled her close and hugged her as if he needed to keep her from leaving. How could such a girl end up with him, when all others had just been interested in the fact that he was a Li? Her mother and her were not rich by any standards, but depended on the wealthy beaus that her mother attracted. They had been living in Hong Kong for the last three years, and it had been the best time of Syaoran's life. He chuckled.

"What?" Aya said not moving from the boy's hold.

"There must be some catch. Is there anything not so great about you?" He mentally slapped himself. Not so great about you? That sounded really intelligent.

Aya just laughed. "Nothing, I'm perfect." She pulled away from him a little to look into his eyes. She looked amused by his comment. "Surprised by the fact that I'm not like every other girl, only interested in your looks and status? Might I remind you I live with a woman who is practically the poster child for that type of girl. I may be freakishly like her in every other way, but I'm pretty sure I'm not in that respect." A look crossed her face for a split second that looked as though she was second-guessing herself, but then it was replaced by a smile. "Don't worry, Syaoran, I love you for you, not who your parents are."

Syaoran walked into the house expecting to find that as usual, no one was at home. It was only when he was greeted by his mother that he wished for solitude. He knew that the only reason his mother would meet him at the door was because either someone had died or she had some news she would find exciting and he would find to be the exact opposite. He was hoping for the first one, but the huge smile plastered on her face told him otherwise. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for what was to come.

"Oh, Syaoran honey!" She never called him honey, meaning this had to be awful news. "I have the best news! You're to be engaged! Isn't that so exciting?"

The color drained from Syaoran's face. Didn't his parents realize that he was dating someone? He had mentioned it quite a few times, but it was pretty obvious that they had paid little attention. "But... Mother! I'm already in love with someone." He had said it out loud, making it official. He loved her. "Her name is Aya Imonoyama, and therefore I cannot accept this engagement offer."

His mother looked completely dumbfounded for a few moments, but then she regained her composure, but the smile had disappeared. "She's Japanese?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

"Of course there is a problem, Syaoran. You are the future leader of the Li Clan as well as future president of Li Corp. When you take your father's place, all the eyes of China will be on you. The Lis have never married non-Chinese, much less a Japanese woman. Besides, the elders would never approve."

"Oh, screw what the elders think! You're all completely mental!" Syaoran stormed up the stairs, but not before yelling, "and I'm not getting engaged to someone I don't love."

Syaoran flung himself onto his bed, he grabbed his cell phone and quickly dialed Aya's number. When she picked up Syaoran didn't waste a second before saying, "I've got bad news."

There was a short pause and a sigh on the other end. "Me too. You should go first."

"My mom was waiting for me when I got home. I knew was a bad sign. She told me... I... I'm engaged." He didn't even pause to take a breath before launching into a rant. "It's so fucking stupid and I refuse to go through with it. Somehow I'll change their minds and-"

"Syaoran, please don't bother, I'm moving."

Syaoran was speechless for a few moments. "What?"

"Back to Tokyo. My mom has been dumped yet again, and we're supposed to be out as soon as possible. There is a man back in Tokyo, but he... She decided to head back home, taking me with her. I'm sorry."

"But... Refuse to go! Stay with me! Please."

"I would, but I have to... I'm all she's got. I wish there was some way I could change this Syaoran, but I can't. Syaoran... You need to forget about me."

"Did you just find out tonight?"

There was another pause, a sigh, and then, "No... I've know for a week. I just-"

"A week! That's just fantastic!" The sarcasm dripped from the boy's voice. "You've know for a week, and you didn't think to tell me?"

"Syaoran! I'm sorry, okay? I have to go, we're leaving tonight. I couldn't face you one last time. I wish I had, though. It was amazing being with you, but it wasn't meant to last. Goodbye, Syaoran." The call had be disconnected, and Syaoran could only sit there, stunned.

Three weeks. It had been three agonizingly slow weeks since the worst day in Syaoran's life, since his last phonecall with Aya. His first love -his only love- leaving him when he needed her most. He was now stuck in an engagement that he had not consented to in any way, and it looked as though there was no way out. All he could think about was Aya, how beautiful, intelligent, and perfect for him she was. His family was matching him up with the wrong girl, and he just couldn't sit by and let them rule his life anymore. It was time for Syaoran to take control.

"Aya, I'm coming."

_**To be continued...**_

Well, there you have it! Chapter One is completed. It's kind of short, but I stopped where I felt it was right to. Just to remind everyone, this is SxS story, I don't do SyaoranXoc parings and never will! I felt necessary to say that because I noticed that a lot of people thought that it was an SxOC paring.

I hope you'll review, but please be nice, it'll make me write faster, I swear!


	2. Meeting Thrice

Goodness, this took forever for me to crank out. Sorry about that! I promise I'll try harder to get one out sooner next time! For now, enjoy!

**EDIT:** I just reuploaded this with a new proofread version! I am working on Chapter 3, I promise! My computer exploded and I lost the data, so I have to start anew.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own CCS, so don't sue.

**The Receptionist**

By Rizu-san

Chapter Two

_Meeting Thrice_

Theme: _Ruby_ by The Kaiser Chiefs

After all these years, Syaoran Li had done the seemingly impossible twice in one evening. He had managed to gather both of his parents in the living room, and was somehow getting them to actually listen for once in his life. The sad fact of the matter was that this conversation was almost guaranteed to end with yelling and Syaoran storming out. He glanced at the door where a suitcase was waiting for him. Despite the situation that made this family meeting necessary, the lonely boy inside of him was feeling very giddy from the attention he was finally getting. It was so surreal that Syaoran felt as though the very fabric of reality should have unraveled by now. His parents were so awkward around each other, for they spent little time together during or before their arranged marriage.

"Mother. Father." Syaoran spoke, glancing at each respected parent. "Please try to understand my reasons for what I am about to say." His parents looked confused. "I'm calling this engagement off."

Silence, and then, "what makes you think you have that right, you ungrateful shit?" Chao Fu slammed his fist down upon the table, making the other occupants of the room jump at his fury. Syaoran's mother, displayed her disappointment clearly, making her china doll face unpleasant to look at. Chao Fu stared at his son with new found fury burning in his eyes. "The Elders went through all this trouble to find you an acceptable bride, and yet you refuse to accept their honorable choice?"

"So, I'm ungrateful for a choice I did not choose nor want in the first place, father? Did the Elders ever stop to ask what I wanted? No, instead they made all the decisions. Maybe I would have liked the 'honor' of choosing my own bride. Someone I could love."

"And who would that be, Syaoran?" Yelan snapped, the suddenness of it slightly starting her son. "That Japanese girl? Syaoran, my son," her features softened a little, "it was an adorable little high school romance, but that's all it can be and you have to accept reality. You are the future leader of the Li clan. She is from a household of a different class. Her mother is evidently a bad influence with the way she moves from one rich man to the next. A gold digger! The Elders believe that she could be using her daughter like a puppet, and you could be falling into a trap which will drag this family down with you. That we cannot risk."

Yelan stood and moved toward her son, who looked very distraught, in hopes of comforting him. Syaoran, however, moved further away from her as if her touch was poisonous. His eyes flickered with madness as he said in an eerily calm voice, "Aya is not some fucking gold digger, mother. She's the only person in my life who has ever truly cared for me, and is the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I refuse to be like you two, trapped in a loveless marriage for the sake of the bloody clan. That is why I can't believe what you have said, and why I am leaving for Japan this evening."

Then as if nothing had occurred, Syaoran turned and briskly walked out of the room, leaving his parents stunned by his bold and defiant words. Just as he was about to open the front door he looked back to see his parents hovering just outside the living room door. Yelan was looking thoroughly distressed, but Chao Fu was a mixed brew of dark emotions -anger, disappointment, and even a hint of betrayal. "You do this," he threatened, "then don't even bother coming back. You walk out that door and you're no son of mine You think you can handle that?"

"I was never your son, and you were no father to me." Syaoran replied with an icy tone. As he turned to leave, his father grabbed him by the elbow.

"Will she really be waiting for you, Syaoran?" He whispered.

"Go to hell." Syaoran wrenched his arm free from his father's grasp and stormed out the door and out of their lives forever.

Planes had to be one of Syaoran's least favorite things. Nothing was worse than being stuck in a stuffy, cramped environment with no escape for many hours. Particularly when the man next to you had an extremely loud snore and a bad case of body odor. It didn't help that airlines were notorious for showing bad in-flight movies, and sleeping wasn't an option due to the uncomfortable seats. While Syaoran hated flying all-around, red eyes were his least favorite. And yet, due to his last minute booking, Syaoran was left with no choice but to take the exceedingly early morning flight to Tokyo. Surprisingly, the flight was anything but empty. Syaoran felt lucky to have even been able to get a seat on this flight, seeing as there was hardly one open. As he was coming back from the lavatory he came across a young woman who looked oddly familiar. She had long black hair and plum colored eyes. She was dressed in extremely fashionable, and very expensive looking, clothes. She wore a gray suit jacket-style shrug with dark green buttons, an off-white shirt, and a knee-length dark green skirt. She was busy immersing herself in a Vogue Nippon fashion magazine article that, after looking a little closer, Syaoran could see the article she was reading had her picture on the page, she had written the article. He glanced at her name and then he realized why she was so recognizable.

"Excuse me, miss, but are you Tomoyo Daidoujii?" He asked, even though the article she was holding was more than enough proof.

She looked up at him with a small smile on her lips. "Yes, that's me."

"Wow, the Tomoyo Daidoujii of Daidoujii Inc. It is an honor to meet you Daidoujii-san, my name is Syaoran Li. My sisters are huge fans of your designs." He shook her hand, but as his thoughts landed on his sisters his smile faltered a little. He would never be able to see them again, and as much as he had always hated his sisters obsessing over him, he realized that he was going to miss that most of all. However, he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. There was no point in dwelling on such a sad thought.

"Li-san?" Tomoyo's voice brought Syaoran back to the real world and he quickly replaced his depressing look with a smile.

"Sorry, just got kind of distracted by my thoughts. Is this seat taken?" He pointed to the obviously empty seat next to her.

"Um... No."

"Do you mind if I take it? It's just that the guy I'm next to is louder than a million bombs going off, and I may just snap if I am forced to sit there any longer."

"Go right ahead." Tomoyo smiled at him. "It'd be lovely to have company."

"Thank you so much!" He sunk into the seat next to the petite woman. "So, I take it that you were in Hong Kong for Fashion Week?"

"Mm. It comes with the territory, and sometimes socializing with other designers can get so blah, but I do enjoy the runway shows. So, is Tokyo you're final destination?"

Syaoran released a little sigh. "Yeah, I guess I have some... Business to attend to."

"And this 'business', I'm guessing, involves a woman. Men are so easy to read!" Tomoyo said with her trademark evil laughter. "I would know, my boyfriend is the same."

"Well, you just might be right."

"Of course I am."

Syaoran shut his eyes and within minutes he had fallen into a light slumber. During his sleep he dreamed of Aya. She was across a large grassy area from him, but the sun was so bright he could hardly make her out. He took a few steps toward her and then noticed she was dressed in a formal looking white dress, a wedding dress. He called out her name, but she did not turn around. He then saw a figure standing next to her, a mystery groom. He too did not turn around when Syaoran called out. He took off running toward Aya, yelling her name over and over, but to no avail. No matter how fast or far he ran, he never got any closer to her, and no matter how loud he yelled, she never turned around.

"Li-san, we've arrived at the airport." Syaoran awoke to the sounds of Tomoyo's voice. "Hurry and get your stuff, I think the flight attendants are getting a little impatient."

"Mmyeah." He replied with a enormous yawn. Syaoran stood and stretched before gathering his belongings and entering the airport. The place was buzzing with people, almost all of them speaking Japanese, so it took Syaoran a few moments to adjust to this new atmosphere. He had always believed that the arrivals area of airports were some of the happiest places on Earth. Families, friends, and even lovers were reuniting with hugs, kisses, and smiles all around him. Syaoran felt his heart constrict as one thought was reinforced in his mind; he had to find Aya.

"Li-san! Over here! There is someone I would like to introduce you to." Syaoran glanced to where the excited Tomoyo was eagerly dragging him. He ended up coming face-to-face with a young woman dressed in very fashionable office clothes. She had chestnut colored hair that reached just past her shoulders and a pretty face, but what really got Syaoran were her eyes. She had the most beautiful green eyes that Syaoran had ever seen, so full of life and joy. Tomoyo noticed his subtlety stunned look and giggled. "Li-san, this is my best friend, Sakura Kinomoto. She was my first model and now she has some hotshot job at Vogue Nippon here in Tokyo."

"Tomoyo-chan, that's quite an overstatement!" Sakura said, a small blush forming on her cheeks. "When we were kids she would make clothes and force me to wear them. As for the Vogue job, I'm really only a secretary. Ah, but where are my manners? Pleased to meet you, Li-san!" She hastily bowed and Syaoran slowly returned the gesture.

"Its an honor, Kinomoto-san." He let a gentle smile grace his features as he spoke. There was silence for a few moments as no one had much to say, but then Tomoyo came to the rescue.

"Sakura-chan, we'd better go. Li-san has a lot of important business that he needs to attend to." Sakura nodded and both girls said their good byes to the young man.

"Goodbye, Daidoujii-san. Kinomoto-san, it was nice meeting you. Have a good one." As the two girls wandered off into the crowd he took one last look at Sakura. She was very beautiful, and he couldn't help but feel a little sad that he would most likely never see her again. However, he quickly shook that thought from his mind, he wasn't here to meet girls. He only had one woman to find, the one woman for him for all time, and she was somewhere in this god forsaken city. He was going to find her. He must find her.

When Syaoran stepped out into the sunshine realization of being alone in a foreign land sunk in deeper. He flagged a taxi down and pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket before getting in. "Could you take me to this address?" He handed the folded sheet to the scruffy looking cab driver who only grunted in response. As he rode through the city, Syaoran was in awe from how amazing it was. As much as his father traveled to Tokyo, he had never once thought to take his son with him. Probably would have thought he would only get in the way. Still, Syaoran was glad he was able to see this city by himself, with his father it would never have been as enjoyable.

The apartment building Syaoran would be living in wasn't the greatest looking place, but it was a step above an eyesore at least. He knocked on the superintendent's door, hoping he wasn't sleeping or out of the house. When the door opened, Syaoran didn't see anyone at first, but then he looked down into a pair of pale blue eyes. The eyes belonged to a small seven-year-old boy with dark brown hair that was going in every direction, and this kid looked pissed. Syaoran didn't understand what he had done to make this kid so sullen with him. "What do you want?" The kid growled. "If you're selling something, my grandpa said to say we don't want any!"

"I'm here to ask about the apartment for rent?" Syaoran wasn't too sure about what he was getting into with these people. "But if-"

"Grandpa! Some guy is here about a place!" The kid shouted as he disappeared somewhere into the apartment.

Syaoran waited a few moments for any sign of life before the door was flung open wildly by a very stout man. He was about a foot and a half shorter than Syaoran with an amply round belly and a long grey beard that snaked it's way down to the middle of his torso. He wore soda-bottle glasses which made his eyes look almost non-existent, overalls, and a ribbed tank top with mystery stains on them. The man was quite a sight to take in to say the least. "Ya want to rent one of my places, eh?" The superintendent spoke with a voice made gruff from too many years of smoking. "What's ya name, sonny?"

"Uh... Syaoran Li, Sir?" This man scared Syaoran a little. He wondered if he had ever been in the military.

"You dun sound too sure of yerself, sonny. Got any felonies?" The old man raised his eyebrow, which in turn only made him look even more mental.

"No, Sir."

"Good, I ain't too keen on felons, and I ain't gonna let no felon in my building. That's for sure. I outta warn you, my places ain't any five star accommodations."

"I don't mind, really, Sir."

"Good, good. Follow me then." He beckoned Syaoran to follow. "You from China, then? I'm pretty good at telling who is a China man. Fought them during World War II, I did. Are you all still Communists over there?"

"Well-"

"Aw, well, I like ya kid, even if you are a Commie. So, ya know, I think I'll give you a discount on yer place there. My way of congratulating you on taking control and escaping from the oppressive regime who wants to control yer every move. Here's yer key, and my name is Gengo Takamura, but it's Sir or The Captain to you. Let me be the first to welcome you to Japan and to Akemi Apartments!" The Captain abruptly shoved the key into Syaoran's hands and then took the elevator back down to the first floor, leaving him a little confused at the man's state of mind.

Syaoran found it a little odd that these apartments were called the Akemi Apartments. Akemi meaning "bright and beautiful", and his apartment was hardly either. The few windows he had were only about five feet from the building behind this one, so it was unlikely that he would get fresh air, much less sun from them. As for the beautiful part, the walls were all an off-white and the furniture looked as if it was from the sixties. It was all clean, at least, if a little lumpy from years of use. However, it was going to be the new home-sweet-home for a while, and it was affordable and hygenic, so Syaoran wasn't complaining. In the next few weeks he would come to know a few things about his neighbors. Such as, the lady next door whose baby would cry every night unless she played him the song "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra. Needless to say, Syaoran officially hated that song by the end of the second week. His neighbor above him had very heavy footsteps, he guessed, and there was a couple spots where when the man stepped, it caused some of the spackle from the ceiling to crumble. However, Syaoran not to let any of it bother him too much.

What did bother him was the fact that he had been here almost four weeks now and he felt as though he had been all over this city searching, but yet there was still no sign of Aya. He began to worry that maybe she and her mother had moved to another part of Japan, which would make his search pretty much impossible. Syaoran knew he could hire someone to find her for him, but that could still take months, and it wouldn't be cheap. With the cost of food and rent on top of a private eye's fees, his funds wouldn't last much longer. Thus, his job hunt began, and that was how he ended up sitting at his kitchen table with almost every Tokyo newspaper in front of him. He searched through, looking for any jobs that paid well enough and he'd be able to do, but the pickings were slim. A few hours into his inquiry, he decided he needed a good cup of coffee.

Grabbing a jacket, he ventured out into the sun to find a Starbucks just down the street from his building. Expensive, but still coffee, which he desperately needed to make it through his job search. He entered the small shop and was disappointed to find a very long line. Yet, he managed to make it through eventually, and was happy when he was finally getting his caffeine fix. Distracted with the consumption of a delicious milkshake, frappacino, deluxe coffee drink, Syaoran did not watch where he was going until he ran straight into someone spilling his drink all over the both of them.

"Ah... I wanted that." He cursed under his breath. Then his mind registered that he had indeed ran into a person. "I am so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going!"

"It's alright. I wasn't either." She looked up and surprise was clearly displayed upon her face as she recognized him. "Li-san?"

Syaoran could remember those green eyes anywhere. "Kinomoto-san! Oh, crap, all the coffee ended up on you. I am truly sorry, I totally ruined your clothes."

"Nah, I was getting kind of tired of these old things anyway." Sakura lied, she had only bought that outfit a few days ago. "But I'd better go home and change now, my lunch hour's just about up and I can't be late to work. It was nice seeing you again, Li-san."

Syaoran waved to Sakura as she walked away. "You too, Kinomoto-san." He felt a fluttery feeling inside him, but refused to acknowledge it.

Syaoran's job search had returned little results so far, and with only one paper left, he was feeling little hope of finding employment today. Still, he crossed his fingers and opened it to the classified section. He scanned the pages until his eyes caught something that sparked interest in him. Help Wanted. Receptionist for Vogue Nippon main offices in Downtown Tokyo. Full Benefits. Full time. Good pay. No experience necessary. Call 555-3467. Vogue was where Sakura worked, and that meant that if he could get this job, Syaoran would at least know someone. Not to mention that he was sure that Vogue would pay him pretty well, at least for a Receptionist. As he dialed the number, Syaoran realized that this job would have been looked down upon by the Li clan as unfitting for the future leader, which made him want it even more.

"So, the interview will be tomorrow at two thirty? Okay. Okay, thanks. Bye." Syaoran beamed as he got off the phone, feeling as though this job was already in the bag.

Syaoran went to sleep that night feeling better than ever, but the following morning he woke to find that he was extremely nervous. He had never been interviewed for anything in his life and he felt fear of the unknown. He kept rationalizing to himself the whole morning that he would be fine and it would probably be very easy, but it didn't ease his anxiety. That afternoon he took a cab to the Vogue building and when he came face to face with the massive structure, he felt his stomach do flip-flops. It was quite warm outside, but the lobby was air-conditioned, which helped a little. Syaoran approached the receptionist's desk where a young woman was writing something down. "Excuse me, miss. I'm here for a two thirty interview."

The woman looked up and smiled at Syaoran. "So, you're one of the people who's vying for my position. The room you're looking for is on the seventh floor. When you exit the elevator go straight until you get to the last door on the left." She smiled one more time as Syaoran thanked her.

The hallway turned out to be a very long one, and as Syaoran's mind wandered from one subject to the next he couldn't keep his brain from thinking about the one girl he knew worked in this building, Sakura, and how odd it would be if he would happen to run into her while he was here. Or how odd it would be if he worked here and never once saw her. Perhaps Syaoran shouldn't have been so lost in his thoughts, and instead looking where he was going, because the next thing he knew was he was flat on his back.

"Ow." He heard a young woman say quietly. "Oh! Li-san! Are you hurt?" The voice had belonged to none other than Sakura Kinomoto, who was now leaning over him with a worried expression upon her delicate face.

Syaoran grinned at her worry over him. "I'm a-okay, Kinomoto-san, but I have to say, we should really consider finding a new way to meet."

She laughed. "I'll second that motion." She stood and then helped pull Syaoran to his feet. "I have to wonder, though, what brings you here today?"

"A job interview for the receptionist position. I have some extra costs that I'm going to run into in the future and, well, money just doesn't grow on trees."

"It should though." Sakura said with mock anger on her face. "But a job interview, eh? I guess you're not just a tourist then. Oh my, I shouldn't hold you up any longer! Good luck with the interview, and don't sweat it. I'm sure you'll do fine." She winked and started toward the elevator. When she was a few feet away she turned back around. "Oh, and Li-san? Please call me Sakura, since I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other."

"Alright, but only if you call me Syaoran." Sakura nodded with a smile and left him there in the empty hallway. A half-hour later Syaoran realized that Sakura was right when she said they would be seeing more of each other, seeing as he was now the new receptionist of Vogue Nippon in Tokyo.

_**To Be Continued...**_

I really hope that doesn't turn out to be too boring of a chapter. I guess I'm still kind of setting up the story. Don't worry, I have very interesting ideas for what is going to happen in future chapters, but I'm just going to be evil and not even hint about it. Heheh.

- Rizu-san


End file.
